A Brilliant Failure
by jalysta
Summary: What if Bella had never leapt from the cliff, and Edward had never returned. What if she chose Jacob?
1. Chapter 1

Ok, so this is my first attempt at writing a fanfic in a long time. This chapter will be really shor I hope you enjoy it, and would appreciate any feedback that you could give. Thanks!

I do not own Twilight or any of its characters….that's all Stephanie Meyer.

_Tick…..tick…..tick….._

The rhythmic cadence of the kitchen timer had become a familiar and depressing noise for me during the last 18 months. Hell, it was practically my own personal theme song. Every month, the same painful routine. Pee on a stick, spend the next three minutes desperately hoping and praying for a positive result, then become even more heartbroken when the result is yet again, negative.

_Tick…..tick…..tick….._

I sat on the edge of the bathtub, head resting on my hands, trying to calm myself. I knew this month wouldn't be any different. I knew that I wasn't going to be pregnant. Yet I still hoped with all my heart. Jacob and I had been trying for a baby since we got married 18 months ago. We had decided that we wanted children immediately, while we were still young. It just made more sense that way, but I guess fate had a different plan.

_Tick…..tick…..DING!_

I took the stick from the countertop and let out a sad sigh as my suspicions were confirmed. Negative. After throwing the stick into the trash, I set to washing my hands, scrubbing vigorously as if it could help wash the sadness down the drain. Looking into the mirror I could see that my eyes were glassy and red, brimming with tears that threatened to fall. I turned the faucet off, dried my hands, and faced myself in the mirror. I could not leave this bathroom looking upset. Jacob was sitting right outside, and it didn't take me long after our first few attempts at conceiving to figure out that he did not like for me to get upset when we didn't succeed. He hated to see me sad and hurting. I think it has something to do with the summer before my senior year of high school. The summer that Edward left me and never returned.

I wiped my hands on my skirt, straightened my back and forced my face to remain neutral, then turned the knob and went to face Jacob. I had to be strong.

"So?" he questioned. "Any good news?"

I shook my head and stared down at the ground. The carpet suddenly became very interesting.

"Oh well, there's always next month…" That seemed to be his mantra lately. Always next month, always another try. He stood to give me a hug and a chaste kiss on the cheek. "I'm gonna go watch the game, baby. The Mariners have been doing pretty well lately, might make it all the way. I'll be to bed later. Love you."

I whispered a quick "love you too" as I watched him turn and leave the bedroom. It puzzled me that he never got upset about the results. He was always so stoic about it. Maybe guys were different from girls in that way. For me, every time I saw the negative on the stick it put another crack in my already fragile heart. I felt an overwhelming sense of loss and failure. Then came the nagging "what if" thoughts, followed shortly by a burst of shame. Perhaps this whole thing was my fault….was I doing something wrong? Was I messed up? Was this some kind of punishment for all the things that happened in the past?

I knew these thoughts would take me nowhere but in circles, so I shut off the lights and crawled into bed. Sleep was swift in coming and soon I was drifting into dreams. Dreams of a beautiful clearing in the woods. Dreams of unruly bronze hair and luminous golden eyes…


	2. Chapter 2

Well, here it is…Chapter 2. I didn't expect to get it done this quickly, but this story is dying to get out of my head and onto paper. There is some sexual content in this chapter, so please don't read it if that sort of thing offends you.

I don't have a beta right now, so I apologize for all the errors that I'm sure are lurking in here.

As always, this Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer.

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The rest of the week flew by quickly, but I still felt the sting of the negative result from Monday night. Jacob must have known that I was still upset because he informed me that tonight he had a special date planned for us. I flew through the day, trying to get everything taken care of for the next week during my free period between classes. No grading or lesson planning to do over the weekend. I wanted to just enjoy spending time with my husband. When the bell rang and the students were dismissed for the weekend, I hurriedly packed my things and drove home. Jacob didn't get off work until 6 so I had a few hours alone to get ready for the evening.

Sitting at my little vanity I let my thoughts wander while I was applying make-up and fixing my hair. A lot had happened over the last few years. After Edward left I was broken. It was Jacob who had picked up the pieces. He brought me to life again, made me smile, and helped to fill the gaping hole in my heart.

He saved me.

I was able to finish high school with fairly decent grades and got into a college in Seattle where I majored in Elementary Education. Jacob, however, had stayed behind at the reservation. When he graduated a year after me, he followed his dreams and opened his own Auto Shop there.

Something happened between us while I was in college. I had always known that Jacob had a thing for me. Not only had he told me himself, but it was pretty obvious. I came home every weekend from Seattle and ended up spending all my time with him. His advances continued to become bolder despite the fact that I initially resisted. Eventually though, I gave in.

I still remember the kiss when I realized I was in love with him. We were in the forest outside Charlie's house in the pouring rain and Jacob had just come back from patrol with the pack. He changed in front of me and the sight of him standing there in nothing but shorts in the pouring rain was too much for me resist. I ran to him, jumped into his arms, and kissed him as if my life depended on it. It was then that I knew I wanted Jacob Black forever. He was warm, funny, loving and kind... and most of all, he was my best friend.

We continued to date throughout college and then on graduation day, he proposed. It wasn't anything elaborate. That wasn't our style. He simply asked, and I said yes. Shortly after, we moved to a quaint little house on the reservation and I began teaching. We never really even discussed living anywhere else. This was our home, where Jacob's business was, where our family was, and where the pack was.

Jacob needed to be near the pack. He is the Alpha – their leader. We thought after the Cullen's left the area there would be no more need for the wolves, but everyone still kept changing. I guess it's for the best. Those guys love the connection and power that being a wolf can bring to them, and it's a part of them, so I never worried about it or even thought about what it might mean.

I was roused from my thoughts by the sound of Jacob clearing his throat. I was surprised that he had gotten home and into the bedroom without me noticing, but he could be pretty sneaky when he wanted to.

"Bella, baby, you look beautiful." He smiled at me in the way that I loved. "Are you ready for our date? I know you've been pretty stressed out with work and everything else that's going on, so I want you to promise me that you'll have a good time tonight."

I nodded and smiled at him in the mirror. He was wearing black slacks and a white button down shirt. It fit tightly over his muscles but looked so damn good. He had sported short hair since the first wolf change and it suited him very well. Just looking at him made my heart pound and my knees week. Before I knew what I was doing I had crossed the room and was wrapping my arms around him.

"I _am_ excited about tonight and I promise to have fun. But I think we'll have more fun here in the bedroom than anywhere else," I suggested breathily as I ran my fingers over his back. He bent down and placed a kiss on the tip of my nose.

"Baby, there will be plenty of time for that later, trust me. We are both dressed up and looking damn good, if I might say, so we are going out. I'll make it up to you later….multiple times" he joked with a suggestive grin as he pressed himself into me.

"Fine," I pouted, sticking out my bottom lip and pretending to pout.

"I'll be ready in a few minutes. I just have to get dressed."

He laughed and left the room to let me finish up. I grabbed the dress of the closet door and pulled it on. Inspecting myself in the mirror, I found that I was pretty pleased with the reflection. The dress was periwinkle blue and hugged my body beautifully, and my hair was loose and flowing in waves down my back. After adding a spray of perfume and slipping into my shoes, we were on our way out the door.

Jacob was right; the evening he had planned was amazing. We started off with dinner at my favorite restaurant, La Bella Italia, and then went dancing at a little club nearby. The night was full of love and laughter and quite honestly the most fun that I had in a while.

I loved dancing with Jacob. It gave me a sort of high to know what I could do to him physically and that I was the only woman who could do that for him. We moved and writhed on the dance floor for what seemed like hours. I couldn't wait much longer. I needed him.

"Bella, I think it's time that I made it up to you," he whispered hoarsely in my ear. "I need to get you home. Now." He took my hand and led us from the club to the car.

The drive home was interesting to say the least. I couldn't keep my hands off him and leaned over the console, running my hands over his muscled body. I nipped and sucked at his neck while whispering the naughty things I was planning on doing to him. I'm not sure how we made it home with both of us as distracted as we were, but we made it in record time.

It must have been the combination of the wine I had at dinner and the drinks at the club that caused my next move. I leaned in and kissed Jacob passionately, pulling his lower lip into my mouth and giving it a little nip. While I continued my ministrations on his mouth I moved my hand to the bulge that was growing in his pants, grabbing and rubbing over the fabric of the jeans. He let out a startled gasp in my mouth. I took that opportunity break the kiss, leap from the car and run up to the house. I had unlocked the door and made it inside before he even had a chance to recover and unbuckle his seat belt.

By the time I heard him lumbering up the front steps I had settled myself on the couch with a book, attempting to look busy and uninterested.

"Oh no you don't," Jacob huffed coming up to me with a crooked grin on his face. "You can't tease me like that and then run off." He bent down and lifted me off the couch, threw me over his shoulder, and headed for the bedroom.

"Mercy!" I laughed. "I give up! No more teasing, I'll be good!" I pretended to struggle.

"Oh, you're gonna be good, all right," he teased as he set me on the floor next to our bed. "I'll make sure of that."

He dipped his head to kiss me while he backed me up against the wall. As he was doing this, his hands were roaming my body and exploring every inch of me. I slid out of my panties and let them slide to the floor at our feet. Placing my hands on his zipper, I undid his pants and pushed them to the floor as well. I moaned into his mouth at the realization that he hadn't worn any underwear tonight. He knew how much that turned me on.

His mouth moved down to my collar bone and he gently grazed his teeth over the sensitive flesh. He knew exactly what he was doing, how kissing me there drove me wild.

"Please, baby," I whispered while reaching down and taking his length into my small hands and giving him a few quick strokes.

He groaned and lifted me to his hips as he pushed me more firmly against the wall. I situated my dress and wrapped my legs around his waist, wanting nothing more than to make love with him. He swiveled his hips, teasing me but not giving me what I needed.

"Tell me," he growled, looking into my eyes. I knew what he wanted to hear, what he needed to hear.

"I love you," I moaned as he continued to tease me with his hardness. "Jacob."

With that he thrust into me strong and fast, filling me in one swift motion. We looked into one another's eyes as he pulled out almost all the way and then thrust back in. He continued moving beneath me and the sweet ache started to build between my legs. I began to move with him, matching his thrusts with my own as the pleasure continued to build. He seemed to know what I needed and sped up his movements. The increased friction pushed me over the edge and I came. My muscles clamped around him and I mumbled something incoherent as I clung to him. A few more thrusts and he found his own release, spilling into me as he bent down and rested his forehead on mine.

"That was amazing," he panted as he tried to catch his breath.

"Yes, it was," I agreed. There was nothing in the world like making love with Jacob. He put everything he was and felt into our lovemaking and it was simply magical. It was in these moments that I knew I was his and he was mine. We belonged together.

I went to the bathroom to get cleaned up and ready for bed while Jacob locked the house up for the night. When I came from the bathroom he was already in bed about to fall asleep. I climbed in and snuggled up to him.

"Thank you"

At my statement he looked at me confused.

"Thank you for waiting for me. Thank you for choosing me." I continued trying to clarify.

"Bella," he smiled and wrapped his arms around me. "I never had a choice. It was always you. And it always will be."

He closed his eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep, probably dreaming of wolves and fast cars.

I lay in his arms willing sleep to come to me, and it finally did….filled with dreams of messy bronze hair and haunting golden eyes…

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Hope you enjoyed reading! Please remember to review! Let me know if you like it or not, or if I should even keep writing it. I'm curious to know what you think!


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